Financial Analyst II

at  The City of Vancouver

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, or related discipline
• Professional Accounting Designation or MBA with a combination of experience and education related to the requirements of the position
• Minimum 8 years post designation experience in budgeting, financial analysis, forecasting, reporting, and accounting
• Advanced financial systems experience preferably within an ERP environment - experience with financial modules of SAP would be an asset
• Strong business case analysis experience
• Good working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles as they relate to local government including PSAB
• Advanced financial modelling and Excel skills
• Advanced experience with preparing complex presentations and writing formal reports for senior management and Council
• Considerable experience in presenting to Senior Leaders and department stakeholders
• Advanced project management experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong business acumen and capability to link finance to the business
• Superior critical thinking skills, ability to analyze complex situations and determine appropriate course of action where there is little or no established precedents
• Ability to strategically answer complex business problems through data analysis, modelling and creative thinking
• Superior verbal and written communication skills, ability to communicate complex financial concepts in simple terms
• Proven ability to work strategically with the business, build relationships, and be a trusted business partner
• Must be able to work independently and as a member of a Finance and Business Unit team
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with ability to manage multiple tasks with competing priorities
• Must be able to take accountability to complete assignments and take ownership of challenges to the point of recommendation, resolution, approval and implementation
• Ability to maintain professionalism, objectivity, confidentiality, tact and diplomacy

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work remotely 1 – 4 days a week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite. At this time this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.
Business Unit/Department: Finance & Supply Chain Mgmt (1150)
Affiliation: Exempt
Employment Type: Temporary Full Time
Position Start Date: September 2024
Position End Date: September 2025
Salary Information: Pay Grade RNG-091: $111139 to $138924 per annum

MAIN PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

Reporting to the Manager, Citywide Financial Planning and Analysis, the Financial Analyst 2 is responsible for supporting the citywide and all the departments as assigned in all aspects of financial planning and analysis. The Financial Analyst 2 is responsible for leading specific FP&A functions including short-mid term planning, budgeting, forecasting, implementation of New Revenue Generation project, financial modelling and decision support for processes and initiatives. Working closely with other members of the Citywide and Business Unit (BU) FP&A, the main functions of the role include leading respective business area, support the development of the City’s annual budget and multiyear plan process, support monthly and quarterly financial reporting process, and analyzing key business issues impacting the revenue opportunities for the City and recommend actions. The analyst plays a lead role in the implementation of the Revenue Generation strategy that link to the new revenue opportunities identified and aligned with department and citywide needs, services delivered, and providing effective data control and accuracy.
The position plays a key role in ensuring compliance with internal controls, policies, standards and business processes and systems. The position provides financial decision support to enable the City to meet its strategic objectives and goals and leads the development of policies and processes to support the effective financial management of departmental resources.
The position is part of the Finance, Risk & Supply Chain (FRS) department.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Financial Analysis:

• Defines and uses logical and innovative approaches to evaluate and deconstruct accounting and business situations. Compiles and links analytical information, experience and insights using quantitative and qualitative reasoning skills
• Demonstrates understanding and application of common quantitative techniques by preparing appropriate financial analysis with fact based assumptions to enable decision making
• Provides input into the formation of problem-solving approaches for business situations
• Accurately analyzes a situation based on available data or information
• Leads the problem-solving process by identifying alternatives and making recommendations
• Consistently applies working knowledge of the organization’s information systems & appropriate financial tools and systems to find, extract, and analyze data and to produce reports
• Applies basic modelling, forecasting and planning techniques to develop forecasts with cost drivers identified and explained
• Supports management in developing and analyzing business cases, determining the financial implications for all major decisions, ensuring value for money, return on investment, productivity and service delivery analysis, quantifying impacts on budgets and forecasts
• Prepares materials to be presented to the Senior Leadership Teams, Directors, CFO, and other stakeholders as required

Strategic Business Partnership and Decision support

• Demonstrates in-depth understanding of the organization’s business plan, immediate environment and the possible impact of events and activities on the organization; understand current role in relation to executing the business plan.
• Applies common business principles to critically evaluate and accurately perform analysis
• Uses insights to influence the views of managers and provides guidance and support, supported by facts, to influence and lead business decisions
• Ability to apply decision criteria to business propositions prepared by business units
• Lead in explaining financial concepts and analysis in non-financial terms to counterparts
• Identify and address additional business partner needs as they arise

Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting and Performance Measurement:

• Leads, manages, and coordinates all aspects of operating and capital budget process; works with subject matter experts to provide inputs and assumptions and manages and monitors Operating & Capital budget expenditures, revenues and recoveries
• Manages and prepares monthly, quarterly, and year-end variances analysis, forecasting and reporting; presents and reviews results with general manager and department leads; works to identify significant risks, and recommends mitigation strategies and raises to appropriate stakeholders
• Provides financial and budget management to support major project leads
• Manages and supports the development of the City’s multiyear financial and business plans and forecasts, review and validate financial assumptions and models, and identify trends that impact the Department’s ability to meet budget and service delivery targets
• Leads and manages analysis of budgets, performance indicators, business plans and ongoing financial results to enable strategic recommendations on corrective actions
• Interpret and provide forecasts and analysis that link to business unit strategy and operational performance
• Complies with and administers Finance controls, policies and procedures

Project Management and Process improvement:

• Supports and manages planning process timelines and identify opportunities for continuous improvement and standardization for business area
• Identifies and implements opportunities for process automation/streamlining and support integration with financial reporting, capital budgeting, and long-term financial planning initiatives
• Communicate budgeting policies and processes to Department FP&A and City staff; support planning processes improvement initiatives throughout the organization
• Manage FP&A projects and sub-process